Simu Liu to Star as Wei Shen in Sleeping Dogs Movie

This week, fans of the beloved video game Sleeping Dogs were thrilled when Marvel Cinematic Universe star Simu Liu announced via Twitter that he is collaborating with the rights holders to bring the game to the big screen. However, it appears the project is further along than initially suggested. A source close to the development has confirmed to IGN that a Sleeping Dogs movie is indeed in the works, with Liu not only producing but also set to star as the lead character, Wei Shen. IGN has reached out to Square Enix for further comment on this exciting development.

Originally released in 2012 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, Sleeping Dogs follows the gripping tale of detective Wei Shen as he goes undercover to infiltrate one of Hong Kong's notorious Triad crime syndicates. Despite not meeting Square Enix's sales expectations, the game has garnered a dedicated fanbase and sparked hopes for a sequel ever since.

Sleeping Dogs is set for a wake-up call with a movie adaptation. Image credit: Square Enix.The original adaptation was announced in 2017 with Donnie Yen set to star, but the film disappeared a year later and, just a few weeks ago, Yen himself confirmed it had been scrapped.

Donnie Yen, who was initially attached to the project, shared his disappointment with Polygon, stating, "I spent a lot of time and did a lot of work with these producers, and I even invested some of my own money into obtaining the drafts and some of the rights. I waited for years. Years. And I really want to do it. I have all these visions in my head, and unfortunately… I don’t know, you know how Hollywood goes, right? I spent many, many years on it. It was an unfortunate thing. Well, on to better things."

Liu's announcement caused some confusion among fans, prompting him to clarify his intentions further. He expressed his determination to not only bring the Sleeping Dogs movie to life but also to help develop a sequel to the original game. "So few film projects make it from pitch phase to greenlight," he said. "Pitching execs who don’t understand the game has been tiring. Everyone’s overwhelming love of Sleeping Dogs here has really given us life! First a movie, then a sequel game for everyone… that’s always been the dream."

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IGN can reveal that Story Kitchen is spearheading the Sleeping Dogs live-action feature film project, with Square Enix as the rights holder. Story Kitchen has a proven track record in video game adaptations, having worked on projects like the Sonic the Hedgehog films and Netflix’s animated Tomb Raider series. They are currently involved in the upcoming Streets of Rage adaptation and an adaptation of It Takes Two for Amazon.

Last year, Story Kitchen announced a film adaptation of Square Enix's Just Cause, with Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto attached. IGN understands that the Sleeping Dogs project has a writer and a major filmmaker on board, though no release date or production start date has been announced yet.

This movie marks a significant revival for Sleeping Dogs, which saw its planned video game sequel canceled in late 2013 before it entered production, and its original developer, United Front Games, shut down three years later. Now, over a decade later, Sleeping Dogs could finally be set for a much-anticipated wake-up call.